SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2001--Alaska Airlines inaugurated daily service to Reagan Washington National Airport from Anchorage and Seattle today, providing Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with a new link to Washington, D.C.'s most convenient airport.

Alaska now provides the only non-stop service between DCA and Seattle and direct, one-stop service between DCA and Anchorage. In June, the DOT approved Alaska's application for the rarely available "beyond the perimeter" slots.

"This new service provides the fastest access to our nation's capital for Seattle-based travelers, the only same-plane service from Anchorage and quick and easy connections from other Alaska and Pacific Northwest cities," said Bill Ayer, Alaska's president. "And it introduces low fares into the marketplace."

The airline operates new 172-seat Boeing 737-900s on the flight, which departs Anchorage at 7:30 a.m., arriving in Seattle at 11:55 a.m. It then leaves Seattle at 12:45 p.m. and arrives in Washington, D.C. at 8:35 p.m. The westbound flight departs DCA at 7:59 a.m. and arrives in Seattle at 11:10 a.m. The flight departs Seattle at 12:10 p.m. and arrives back in Anchorage at 2:48 p.m.

The airline is commemorating the new service with festivities in Anchorage, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

This is the first time that Alaska has provided scheduled service to the Washington, D.C. area. Alaska Airlines was recently voted "World's Best Domestic Airline" by readers of Travel+Leisure magazine.

For reservations go to www.alaskaair.com, call Alaska's toll-free reservations line at 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522) or call your travel agent.

For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.

--30--KS/se*